Usually, a jack connector assembly provides within an common outer housing a given amount of ports in an arrangement stacked on top of each other and/or in a side-by-side relationship. For defining the ports the type of which correspond for example with an RJ-45, RJ-11, RJ-21 and/or may be used for example in local area network (LAN), the connector housing comprises a mating side with respective plug receiving openings. Electrical contacts are supported by at least an insert insertable into the housing and arranged within the plug receiving openings for providing detachable connection with at least one plug received.
Typical local area networks for example may be telephone switching networks, computer networks and/or networks for automation using a plurality of data transmitting means including coaxial cables, optical fibers and/or telephone cables. Such topographies of local area networks are known for example as Ethernet-networks and are subject of a plurality of electrical standards as for example IEEE 802.3. The Ethernets-networks usually have to provide a huge amount of shared and/or distributed connections. Since such networks are operated at rates of about 1 Gigabit and more there is a need for a significant conditioning of the signals to be transferred. Accordingly, a metal outer shield encapsulating the connector housing usually is needed for providing for example a common mode rejection (CMR) and a pre-given electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) or electromagnetic immunity (EMI). For the conditioning of the signals usually corresponding components such as for example coils or capacitive elements have to be arranged within the assembly, too.
Due to the demand of an ever increasing miniaturization in providing a plurality of different connections there is a need with regard to the manufacturing of space-saving jack connector assemblies.
Moreover, there is the demand of providing a power over LAN functionality and hence, with regard to Ethernet compatible networks a power over Ethernet (POE) functionality. As known, such POE or “active Ethernet” additionally may eliminate the need to run 110/220 VAC power to wireless access points and other devices on a wired LAN.
Until today however, most of the components necessary for ensuring power of LAN as well as respective jack connector assemblies used within such LANs are provided independently from each other and the functional integration and/or combination thereof is made on the premises only. Moreover, each customer or provider of a LAN such as an Ethernet usually has its own specific designs and constructions, such as a PCB-design with regard to the wiring/routing layouts and the components which have to be incorporated within the concept of a connector assembly providing power over LAN. Accordingly, the today's concepts involve a lot of space and a plurality of undue components as an early functional combination or splitting of tasks and/or purpose in principle is impossible. This however, would result in saving components.
Thus, there is the need for an integration within a jack connector assembly of circuitry components enabling power over LAN, especially enabling POE.
US-document 2003/0194912 A1 is describing an active area network connector for use in a local area network including at least one LAN node, the active connector comprising at least one active connector housing, at least one first plurality of first electrical contacts mounted in said housing and arranged for detachable connection with corresponding electrical contacts of at least one plug, at least one second plurality of second electrical contacts mounted in that housing and arranged for connection with corresponding electrical contacts of local area network equipment, and active power control circuitry located within said housing and coupled to at least some of said first and second electrical contacts, said active power control circuitry being operative for controlling the supply of electrical power over said local area network cabling to at least one node of the local area network.
A main disadvantage of such an connector assembly is however, that the heat produced by such an integrated power control circuitry accumulates inside the housing and hence is causing misoperations up to a total breakdown of the entire connector assembly and hence, will result in that other parts of the network including other components coupled with the network will failure, too.